From: catmage@aol.com (CatMage)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Nature/animal deities (and Bast)
Date: 4 Dec 1994 12:00:27 -0500

Niktah Ambrosia, (grimya@atlantis.ksu.ksu.edu) writes:
>        Does anyone know of an FTP site (or just simply have some
> general info) on dieties of nature and/or animals?  Also, does
> anyone have info on Bast.  Any help is appreciated.

I'm afraid I don't know of any FTP sites, but I will try to help you
with information-- what exactly did you want to know?

I would start by pointing out that Bast is not a "deity of nature
and/or animals"; Her historical role was that of the Pharoah's
protector and bearer of vengeance-- in early Dynastic Kemet (Egypt),
particularly the Old Kingdom, Bast and Sekhmet were portrayed as very
similar (though They do have clearly dileanated roles and are seperate
deities, if one looks closely).

It is interesting to note that the popular image of Bast as a housecat
did not even appear until approximately 1000 BCE, after the Greeks had
invaded-- prior to this, She was portrayed with a lion form or that of
an indeterminate jungle cat.  It is also interesting to note that once
the Greeks had done this, She was relegated to being a goddess of
pleasure (a corruption of a more primal sensuality in Her previous
form) and a patron of marriage and childbirth.  Perhaps one could find
some parallels between this and the status of women in classical Greek
culture?

If I can be of any assistance in helping you find more information,
please don't hesitate to ask.

3nh udja snb,
Craig A. Schaefer, Hm Bst
Ordo Alba Phoenix, Administrative Director
===

Newsgroups: alt.pagan
From: antm@spdcc.com (Ailsa Murphy)
Subject: Re: Nature/animal deities (and Bast)
Date: Sun, 4 Dec 1994 17:04:20 GMT

[quoting Niktah]
well, for starters, bast was NOT considered by the egyptians to be the
goddess of cats, any more than thoth was the god of ibises or sekhmet
the goddess of lions.  bast was a sun goddess, specifically the
goddess of the warmth and fructfying heat of the sun (which phrasing i
ripped off from budge, i believe).  the greeks considered her to be
the equivalent of demeter.

cats were, hoever, sacred to her.  her temples had quite a lot of
attendant sacred cats, as well as statues.

interestingly, there seems to be an association around Europe and the
Mediterranean of cats and fertility goddesses.  freya rode in a
chariot drawn by cats.  i forget the others off the top of my head,
though.  forgive me, it's morning...  *weak grin*

the egyptians, by the way, had MANY sun-deities.  bast was the goddess
of ONE aspect of the sun.  the brutal heat of the sun was another
deity altogether.

i tend to invoke bast most from february to may, and then in the dog
days of summer...
					-ailsa
-- 
i saw the worst bands of my generation/applied by magic marker to drywall
i should be allowed to shoot my mouth off/i should have a call in show 
= antm@spdcc.com = ailsa or Kate = half homo, half goober!  <><  <><